6 things you don’t need expensive plugins for (use Ableton instead)

[@KMcirca82]

the more you learn your daw the less you need outside tools. it's a matter of people investing the time vs paying for short cuts. i appreciate your time as always.

[@wwlittlejOfficial]

Its the idea that they use what DJ X uses, their track will be a banget like him, also its the cray cray marketing of the vst makers tryna sell their product. A wise man oince told me long ago that there are no bad *sounding* vsts, just different. its like saying whats the best color of red. Theres a billion billionb shades of red, just which one fits the usage u want. none are worse than another, just different. I wont tell people that they shouldnt buy another plugin, just dont think its going to be better. Its just different.

[@wesprog9809]

Maybe in a few cases but you have to learn new plugins too so it depends what you want to do with it. If you're also buying presets and samples to not have to learn your plugins than it's definitely a shortcut at first but it won't help if you look at the bigger picture because you don't learn enough using presets. So you'll either realize that you need to learn or you'll get frustrated and stop producing eventually.

[@terryriley6410]

​@@wwlittlejOfficial Sure but plugins aren't colors, they are designed and programmed by humans and as such they can have bad workflows, bugs and artifacts that go against the purpose of the plugin. For example if you want a clean oscillator without digital aliasing artifacts a plugin where the devs didn't work on antialiasing will be bad. Sure you can call it "different" because they do something different than what you want but that's just playing with words, obviously anything that you'd call "bad" could be called "different from your expectation". So yeah, some plugins will be better than others for the individual.

[@wesprog9809]

@@terryriley6410 I agree it totally depends on what you want to achieve. You can probably get close to the same with different plugins or a different Workflow but it will not be the exact same in the end. I don't think it matters how you got it done if it sounds great. It's definitely not like vsts make your track just by installing them you need to learn them too.

[@valdir7426]

it's not about time but people want the bells and whistles of the shiny skeumorphic vst interface. I think that's why live effects are underrated.

[@1andahalfmen268]

Anyone watching this, its really worth checking out the seed to stage courses. I’ve learnt so much, although this was after I’d spend sooo much on plug-ins that “look pretty”, because let’s face it, that’s why I bought them! I play solo gigs with a laptop that is by no means powerful and a MIDI controller in session view. by using stock plugins (that I now know how to use), I have no cpu OR latency issues. Seriously, use your cash on learning, you won’t regret it. 3rd party plugins have their place, but the marketing is disgraceful. Too many KZbinrs advocating them, and inexperienced users ie ME, believe they will dramatically improve your skill. The thing is, you need the SKILLS to make them work, by which time, you realise you’ve wasted your cash, because the stock ones do the same thing!

[@jensenraylight8011]

those vst were created for other incel DAW with bad stock plugins, and sound like a cardboard, they would rather take the L and gulp down the 60% CPU usage from idle vst thank god Ableton is such a Gigachad DAW with no such weakness

[@djGreenALERT]

Thank you for confirming suspicions I've had for quite a while now. I'm 20 minutes in and can sum it up in just one word. 'Marketing'

[@oscwildle1]

Thanks again for showing us the benefit of learning to use what’s right in front of our faces.

[@Shane-zo4mg]

Thank you for being the one KZbinr who actually knows how to do a proper A/B test

[@m3d1a408]

joining the seed to stage community was the best decision i've ever musically made. highly recommend!

[@slakraze6288]

I’m watching this on my phone and somehow the audio for this video is just super clear and sounds great. Whatever you’re doing for your own audio production is impressive.

[@scottbussler4041]

Under rated comment

[@samuri4483]

He’s a true professional

[@samuri4483]

And/or wizard

[@russiansteve]

Speaking as someone who has purchased Arturia's FX Collection I can only agree with this. I often create two mastering chains, 1 with 3rd party, 1 with Live's stock plugins and when A/B listening there is no noticeable difference. I think the off-the-wall FX (Arturia's Fragments, Output's Thermal) can be worth a look but even some of these can be replicated within Live with a little work.

[@keithroberts9869]

Totally agree. I think the stock plugins and the Arturia FX Collection is a one-two punch you probably don't need much else.

[@ghostplayermusic]

I find that some of the compressors in the Arturia collection give a very different mastering experience - it’s more about injecting analog characteristics than functionality

[@mattwhit02]

Seed to stage, I love how you are straight to the point no BS even with your mini promo for your lessons! This knowledge is so so incredible and you are offering it to us for free. Keep it up I am so stoked i came across your channel! Plus I didn't know about Digital clip vs Analog so I got to learn something new!!

[@officialjrduncanpage]

Definitely need a part 2 for this 💯

[@purplism4857]

dude you have been able to pursue engineering all the way forwards and then all the way backwards again so that you could make this video and i really really appreciate that

[@valdir7426]

ableton stock plugins are always underrated. people find them boring looking as they don't have a crazy skeumorphic interface but they got impressive stuff here; specially when comparing to earlier versions of live. Also the made by AAS stuff is really worth checking out. I bought a few vst's, specially synths; but a lot of the times I fall back on the classics; they'll be lighter on CPU too. with the new drift you'll be able to go a long way without a single vst.

[@kineticwayss]

ableton instruments and sounds are not good they're terrible

[@PeterPepper93]

​@@kineticwayssmore likely you're too bad at sound design to make something out of it, Robert Henke does his entire live with stock sound and plugins and it's absolutely élite top of the game. You are not mature enough yet.

[@kineticwayss]

@@PeterPepper93 forgive my amateur ass lol now im a lot better and Ableton stocks are pretty nice especially "analog"

[@PeterPepper93]

@kineticwayss I guess you are mature enough now. Congratulations on your progress!

[@Veraj_Kriela]

Ahahha this lovely discussion, love u guys.

[@hjvarfjell]

Thank you so much. I really needed this. I have been a sucker for getting new and shiny plugins. Ableton suite contains so much that it’s easy to become overwhelmed and just buy a third party plugin that does what you need. Instead of learning what you already have. Lately I’ve been trying to not buy plugins and want to learn the tools in live suite instead. You seem to have heard my wishes. Trying to muddle through on my own is harder and less fun than having you show me. 😃👍

[@jefgirdler7232]

I want like six parts of this going over every possible effect and why Ableton's stock stuff will do it better

[@kennan10101]

This would make an amazing series. Hard to find really good tutorials on recreating plugins. Thanks for the high quality content as always.

[@HisRoyalSelf]

I think after years of dabbling in and out of different youtube instructors, I've come to the decision that I like you the most. The concise and quick past the bs method in which you describe things is nice. The tone and mood is easy to settle into. Well done.

[@pubdigitalix]

This video is a gem. One problem with plugin''s developers is the complexity outside of the DAW itself and the computational resources they needed to interface correctly. Steinberg VST interface is not helping a lot. Good work.

[@irauchimax]

You're a Legend, you've unlocked a door to my most feared question with only one video ! Much love keep up the great work

[@cameroncox6254]

The end made me laugh out loud hard. I love it hahaha. That Reverb comparison was amazing. I kept debating about buying one of those Big Sky reverb pedals to pair with my Prophet Rev 2. But after watching this, I think I'll save myself $400! Thank you! 🙌

[@theovergoat]

This video reminds me of Boz Digital Labs. They make VST plugins of things that are literally right there in the Ableton Utility effect, but their target audience is Pro Tools users who either can't access those effects as easily in their DAW or not at all. For those people, investing in Boz plugins is worth it. And remembering this makes me appreciate switching to Ableton all over again. Pro Tools might be the industry standard in big studios, but it's also completely invalidated by Ableton

[@adammercysystem6450]

I noticed a Boz advert for exactly what the utility plugin does inside Ableton the other day. Had to click on it to see who their target audience was haha! Couldn't belive they were advertising something like that for 20 dollars!

[@joshhanson9321]

Thank you for not being another KZbin plugin shill. I'm always learning something from your videos. I will point out something seeing as I just read the Blackhole user guide yesterday. You can add more to the "freeze" soundscape by using "infinite" instead of freeze. There is no button, just turn the feedback knob almost all the way up until it reads "infinite" and make sure mod rate or depth is at 0.

[@HarryLoveTV]

Seed To Stage has probably THE best Ableton vids I’ve found and I that’s saying a lot since spend most of every day with KZbin playing in the back or foreground

[@lawinter1949]

The difference that I use Kclip for is that you can actually keep the oversampling on in Kclip. There are actually 2 hardclippers in it with one that lives after the oversampling. I use the ceiling knob for this output clipper instead of the one next to the input.

[@kittycloudz813]

Thanks for making the point about the Saturator , I never even opened it lol , it’s crucial for my live looping performance to have a latency free ish clipper / limiter with a low cpu hit …Saturator is perfect actually.. wow 👌🎶

[@SeedtoStage]

Yeah i used it on my live master track as well

[@SuperMonibuvy]

Make sure you turn off the "Color" button on saturator when using it as a clipper. It adds a full spectrum noise floor that colors the sound. When you are using saturator for clipping across multiple tracks going into further processing downstream, the color really adds up and muddles the sound. Try throwing saturator on a pure sine wave, then checking a spectrum analyzer and turning color on and off.

[@Frbrdt]

This video is so much gold! The part with the Amps killed me totally :D

[@joaooqueiroz]

so glad that I found your channel. tnx and congrats for your great content

[@Markybeeski]

Best vid on Compressor I’ve seen. Great work (as always)!

[@JamesRamboPearce]

This is perfect please continue this as a series!!!

[@SHLDMusic]

I really like Ableton's glue compressor, but recently I was thinking 'what if I bought the SSL compressor' maybe it would sound better? Your demonstration is amazing, thanks for saving me $300! 😍

[@rotten77]

That`s one of the things why I love Ableton. There is almost everything for music production. You can make any synth sound with internal instruments, there are Sampler and Drum Rack as well. The only thing I am missing is a good pitch corrector for vocals but a few months ago I bought Nectar and Melodyne during Black Friday so now I have everything :-)

[@extendedblundering]

I am very grateful for your recording visual of "Look ahead time". I have been incorrectly using that feature and this explanation was very useful. thanks!

[@michaelduff2382]

Yeah, same. I thought it just introduced latency to make sure that it was matching up with the sidechain signal instead of there being a processing delay. I didn't realize it was actually responding earlier as a result.

[@FastCarsLoudMusic]

I'm currently putting together a template for a new project and one of the limitations I've been toying with is "use stock ableton for everything". I think you just sold me.

[@AlkibiadesKleiniou]

I've just discovered your videos. The amp one really blew me away.

[@Ruairi.rollins]

Would love more of these videos. Especially impressed with the amp modelling

[@spooqs]

If I were trapped on a desert island with only one Ableton stock plugin, I'd have a hard time deciding between the Glue Compressor and Saturator, both of them are HUGE workhorses for me.

[@aemythjensen]

That's fine, when we drop you off at the deserted island we'll let you have 2 stock plugins. 😉

[@tholos6630]

Yeah ... those two and then my other two would probably be: EQ8 and Utility. I use Utility all the time.

[@spooqs]

@@aemythjensen now to figure out how to open coconuts and catch fish with the Glue Compressor 🤔

[@aemythjensen]

@@spooqs 😄😄

[@esahm373]

Well, Glue has a (soft) clipper built in, so I take Glue over Saturator any day. Also, Live's saturator aliases like hell, even with oversampling on.

[@kennethvalbjoern]

Hi there. I'm new to this channel, but is already impressed with what I've seen of Ableton-videos. Thanks for the great videos, they are very helpful!

[@robbiep742]

As always, Anthony is releasing the best content about Ableton and production on KZbin

[@pistachiojud]

Loving this stuff man. Thank you!

[@osazzeh]

Another one: Ableton's Redux (Live 11) can get the same "low-pass filter" type effect you can get a quality third-party bitcrusher like Decimort 2. How it's done: On Redux engage the post-filter, turn down the sample rate knob to taste, then slowly decrease to the post-filter octave to clean up the harsh artifacts... I found this out cause I updated to Ableton 11 and played around with the new Redux literally the day after I bought Decimort 2, which I bought solely for that effect alone

[@rileyk4119]

The Key function is the real pro tip people should take from this video. Awesome as always, thank you!

[@magneticmonopole7824]

One plugin I use all the time and haven't been able to replicate with any other plugin, Abelton or 3rd party, is Acustica Audio Lemon delay. The repeats just sound so good. Other than that tho I've learned alot here, great video. I will be using more Abelton plugs.

[@skt91164]

with a little eq you could have had that amp and cab sounding exactly like archetype.

[@hostnik777]

I have learned more from your little asides in this video than I have from other channel's entire output. I just wish I could afford your courses. :/

[@hpnascimento95]

Great video, as always! A lot of useful tips in there. Regarding side chain ducking, Ableton's LFO tool also works pretty well. And you can map it to whichever knob you want, such as volume and filter cutoff frequency. I would also mention Ableton's delay/echo effects, which sound great and have all the features I need. I see people spending 100+ dollars on delay plugins when the stock versions work perfectly -- and you can always add EQ, saturation etc. to give it that "tape" feel.

[@hshx1n]

I’m trying to echo my piano and guitar skank and I have the trial for SoundToys echoboy, it immediately gives me what I want and I’ve fiddled with the Ableton Echo with the same settings but Echoboy is giving me a way nicer skank. Any advice?

[@erndog64]

I started out with my Casio keyboard and my guitar pedal. Then I record on my computer to mess with it more. Now I'm learning DAW. I love it.

[@Jazzguitar00]

This is a good idea for a video. I will say though, that the expensive plugins sound *slightly* better but if you have a lot of gear and plugins to buy...spending 300 on a glue bus compressor is not the best use of your resources! I don't understand why you would be attached to putting a mic on an amp- there are some IR packs that sound incredible and you probably won't beat unless you have access to a world class studio.

[@PolarTrance]

Often when I see or hear about a new plugin, I get inspired to go back to FL, and see if I can do the thing with what I already have. Usually the answer is yes I can, because FL be filled with good stuff, but also the few things I have bought in my years tend to be powerful tools.

[@kerdum]

I'm 2:45 in to this and I'm very impressed!! Thank god for this dude!!!

[@neilelkins2009]

The transient shaper in Drum Buss works on other stuff like rhythm guitar type parts (although it does introduce a bit of colour even with all the other settings turned right down).

[@danno94]

def would love that next video in this series!

[@ldmdesign5610]

Arguably you can get a nice reverb in Live, but I'd say it's definitely worth buying some nice reverbs, there are many kinds and with distinctive qualities. Valhalla are superb for a relatively low cost

[@shanonkiyoshi4784]

✨️ Ableton's HYBRID Reverb is phenomenal, so the FREE Vahalla Reverbs are all you truly need to spice things up 😎👍✨️

[@sagnier]

Yeah, reverb… it’s satisfying to acquire stuff like Valhalla (so pretty, so simple, so no-sales-ever-so-you-feel-you’re-joining-the-club-finally… but really, what can you do with it that you can’t with HR?

[@Gino_567]

@@sagnier Its not just about the features it provides. Its also about the colour its giving your sound. I find Raum an amazing plugin compared to Abeltons stock reverb plugin. i was trialling a few different ones and was instantly drawn to it because of its airy presence in the top end it gives. Its been my default reverb ever since. its just a really nice sound. I haven't tried CR yet, but ive tried a few different 3rd party plugs now and they all have a different sound to them.

[@ldmdesign5610]

@@sagnier well tbh i haven't even really checked out hybrid reverb. I've had other reverbs for years, and they are really nice, so I use them. HR is probably very useful.

[@crysstoll1191]

i have Live v9 standard. There's a lot of better reverbs out there. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere than give it to Ableton at this point (like Valhalla DSP, PSP audio, U-he, AAS, etc. Good video, the point- use what you have is valid, hence i have bought almost nothing in five years and i can use what i have for the rest of my life and not run out of fun. If i was starting over i would buy Reaper, NI Reaktor, and maybe Omnisphere and Chromophone. With just Reaper and Reaktor i could likely do almost anything i want.

[@SpencerJhay]

Thanks for the video! Very informative and, for me, timely! Since finding your channel and seeing all of what you can achieve with just Ableton’s stock devices, I’ve stopped looking for 3rd-party plugins really at all. No sense in spending money on something that you already have (like you mention in this video). Question for a future video in this (potential) series: Is it possible to turn EQ8 into a dynamic EQ? The only 3rd-party device I’m still considering buying is FabFilter’s ProQ. I’m not sure how much any of their effects can be recreated like this, but I’d be very curious to see if it’s possible! Thanks again!

[@SeedtoStage]

Yep use envelope follower into the gain of a filter within eq8. It’s not very convenient though and fab filter pro Q is one of the best plugins ever made imo

[@ghostplayermusic]

Pro Q is a good investment, but if you want to try a dynamic EQ Nova by TDR is free

[@Simbosan]

I have to say the lovely air on Blackhole was so very nice, mmm. A worthwhile exercise to get that out of the stock plugins. Great video

[@SeedtoStage]

I know ha it’s a sweet lol beast. Idk if it’s worth 200 though if you have hybrid reverb.

[@josipvulic5471]

absolutely love making new guitar tones using just the stock switchable amp and cabs within Ableton and the CPU usage is so low with M1 Macs as well. thanks for the heads up on the other comparisons!

[@sagnier]

I have Cory Wong- so disappointing just how much it gobbles the processor. And it’s nothing special really. So glad I bought it on sale because it doesn’t get much use, especially since I acquired both fender collections for amplitube. Now THAT is a brilliant emulation - so much distinctive character in those amps.

[@WINOLAofficial]

I found your "Ableton is a modular synth" video, and damn, I really love these kind of videos! I would love to see more videos like the ableton is a modular synth one!!

[@unused0011]

Wow ... You have cleared up loads for me. Thanks buddy 👍

[@static-san]

The Hybrid Reverb is amazing, but when you only have Standard, then the normal Reverb just doesn't always cut it. Fortunately buying some necessary hardware comes with plugins and that's where I got NI's Raum which I love. And as other commenters have pointed out, many plugins have sales. I don't think I've ever paid full price for an effect plugin and almost all were in a bundle making them even cheaper.

[@soundchaser3969]

Thanks for reminder. I have to stop buying effect plugins, at least until I've further explored what stock plugins can do.

[@weedyliver]

Incredibly good presentation. Thanks again!

[@psychoilvkusnoi5664]

This guy rocks. Solid education program for free. Big like!

[@Elias-st1vm]

Best video about Ableton ive ever seen

[@alexursu563]

2:33 the glue compressor straight up sounds better for modern production imo

[@dabboq]

great vid as always!

[@rayderrich]

I love Blackhole and it is almost always on sale, I think I paid 29 bucks for it, but I do see the points you are making, this video is very educational and possibly money saving.

[@musicbyjon5447]

Always learn something new after watching your videos

[@viktoronopko1853]

Funny that this video was accompanied with a Waves ovox ad. 😁 Amazing content, Thank you! 🔥

[@joeseabreeze]

Live's wavetable synth is all I usually need for basic wave table synthesis for most of my EDM type stuff. I haven't found much advantage using 3rd party wavetable synths. Also, Live's Drum Buss plugin is just as good if not better than anything I've found in a 3rd party plugin. I use Drum Buss all the time to tighten up my percussion, then I'll chain the Glue Compressor to round it off. All the saturation and distortion plugins in Live is generally all I need for that kind of processing. I've purchased some 3rd party saturation plugins in the past and don't even use them. I also use Live's vocoder for all sorts of things. Everything from drums, bass, and vocals. I don't think most Live users know how useful this plugin is. It's not just for vocals.

[@shanonkiyoshi4784]

I NEVER use Live's Vocoder on vocals, but I use it on EVERYTHING else 🤣🎶

[@iaroslavyakoff3822]

Thank you for this video. I already knew that the Glue Compressor is a beast, but the saturator is a clipper... after this video, I dive into the study of clippers. If you have time and inspiration, review MeldaProduction mSaturator. I find his presets "Drums will love this" or "Nasty Drums" to work very similar (if not better) to the Decapitator. In any case, MeldaProd is an incredible addition to Ableton's stock plugins and there is so many hidden gems.

[@0711RC]

Awesome advice!! Thanks, love Abelton.

[@cyberspacer]

Such a gold mine of good advice in this clip!! The clipping part was a new level for me :) One thing, wouldn't the clipping be even more transparent if you disabled the color button on the Saturator?

[@danielsolomon63]

Amazing video. Just one not for the reverbs part at the end, i got Blackhole on a sale for 29$. Not to take anything from Live's Hybrid but i think for 29$ Blackhole is unbeatable if you are in that lush long and spacey reverbs.

[@damiengreen28]

Abletons reverbs compared to most of the 3rd party ones I own are a bit meh. They aren't unusable if it is all you got but you can deffo up your reverb game considerably for not a lot of money.

[@ghy518]

One of the most informative and well-structured Ableton Live tutorials I’ve seen. Thanks a lot. Anyone know what the best way to learn all of this is? I imagine I should just be experimenting in the DAW + actually researching the digital audio principles?

[@SeedtoStage]

I have ableton courses which are deep, thorough, and organized into 4 categories. Mixing, Songwriting, Sound Design, and Live Performance. To my knowledge they are the largest and most thorough on ableton live on the internet. You can check them out here: seedtostage.com/

[@shanonkiyoshi4784]

Your high-school science book's chapters on Audio is definitely all you need to get a professional sound. Master those concepts and 80% of "mixing" will suddenly make sense.

[@tdtrecordsmusic]

just read the manual. its quick/short and absolutely 100% comprehensive. There is no better option. Learning/reading about these plugins is literally like 5 mins per plugin. Typically I use 3 different types of instruments and apply the plugins i'm learning to each 1=drums, 2=keys, like a full spectrum synth or piano, 3=a pad type instrument. then just move all the knobs and read from the manual what they do. Its quick and painless.

[@gaspardguilbert728]

Very good point of view. Very true. Thank you ! This UAD compressor comparison...🙃

[@Disisions]

This series can go on forever 👏

[@dennisstgermain]

What Ableton plugin should one use with a Nylon string guitar like a Godin multiac to get a pretty sound as well as a big sound.

[@allanckny]

Another wonderful video!! I have been learning from your courses for months. One of the best investment in my life!

[@jolieuke]

The content of your videos are always off the charts!

[@angeloandrewmusic]

Such an awesome video! Thanks for sharing!😎

[@infinity-1834]

Excellent points here. Really good info.

[@Tomijee]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, nice video and tips!

[@MrWhite2277]

Doh. Wish I'd seen this before I bought kclip a week ago. Good video. 👍

[@albert-stefanstancu4634]

Can you please make a video with the same concept, but about Ableton Synthesizers?

[@chonkypixel1006]

Funny, I bought KClip and ABd it against Glue (no compression, soft-sat switched on) and it was identical. :) That was for an earlier version of KClip though. It's got a lot more going on now.

[@themattschulz3984]

Actually, apart from that outrageous cpu usage of that Archetype plugin, i think the Ableton rack also sounds fuller and more present aka better.

[@danibee535]

oh my gosh, yeah, i shocked myself a little while at how good the stock ableton amp modeller (and pedal and cabinet) was. i dialled in a very pleasant super-reverb-reminiscent tone very easily!

[@Historyhitstime]

Ableton 12 has an actual soft clipper. Could you do a tutorial on that?

[@StanAllDay]

Hi Friend! I like this series already.

[@wandajames143]

You’re right in a way, but you’ve really got to have a good place to record an amp, and a good setup. These archetypes are the best amp sims I’ve heard, they sound wayyyy better than when I mic my Princeton. Also a lot of FabfiLter and soundtoys etc… plug-ins just smash ableton especially for vocals

[@WhatsAHandleMyNameIsJoe]

Really appreciate your videos, learning Ableton is daunting, but you explain well.

[@wildcat189]

Wow Ableton is more amazing than I realised

[@vince3804]

hopefully im not bothering you - but by chance - anything you can reccomend that does what Soothe 2 is doing ?

[@GeorgeMichaelTribute]

Thank you very much un hypnotising me. great video and subbed :) Ableton is Boss!!

[@maximrueegger]

great input, can't wait for your next vid!

[@value4valuemaxi]

The most important video on the internet

[@bloopbleepnothinghere]

Soundtoys Echoboy is hard to beat with stock plugins. It's so good.

[@joeyp1028]

Yo! What does “turning off the over sampling” actually do? Changes the audio? Sounds worse? What’s the trade off exactly

[@Xanax1402]

What about the Strymon BigSky ? Do you know how to make similiar Sounds ?

[@revelationbeats_]

Awesome video, everydays a school day

[@neoconnor4395]

Would I get better cpu and latency if I played directly through my Helix?